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"The fire brigade was already here and the property was cordoned off when I arrived. It's absolutely shocking and devastating for my dad - and my brother and my nephew who also lived at the property and were also not at home," she said.

At least 15 firefighters were involved in fighting the fire, and several police officers also attended and assisted with crowd control.

Most people in the area know the owner. He has lived here for years. It's really sad and unfortunate this has happened to him. I really feel for him.

"We're having to take extreme care because of our concerns about the integrity of the roof ceiling and the basement below. There are pockets of flames beneath the debris, so it's like having to tread on egg shells as we don't know the cause of the fire, and there is the potential risk that these structures will collapse beneath or on top of us," he said.

"It really hits me when I see a structure fire like this, particularly when someone has lost pretty much all their possessions."

Mr Lindsay said it was yet to be determined where the fire had started.

Te Puke ward councillor Karyl Gunn-Thomas, who lives nearby, said she had come down to offer her support to the family and make sure they had somewhere to stay.

Bystander Brendan Pratt said he was disgusted by all the "rubber-neckers" in vehicles who had parked up and restricted the fire trucks' access to the scene.

The fire safety investigator would be looking into the cause of the fire once the brigade was satisfied it was safe to do so.